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Of this edition of The Ketcham Pardon^ by William 
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THE KETCHAM PARDON 

By WILLIAM ELLIS 

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THE PHILOSOPHER PRESS 
AtThe Sign Of The Green Pine Tree 
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JANUARY M D CCCC 


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This little tale is here reprinted from The Saturday 
Evening Post of Philadelphia, acknowledgment being 
made to the courtesy of the publishers for this republication, 
and is covered by the copyright of that magazine by The 
Curtis Publishing Company, M D CCC XC IX, 







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THE KETCHAM PARDON 


NE day late in the fall of 
his first year in office, 

Henry Warfield, Governor, 
was in the executive 

chamber going over some 

papers. Among them was an application 
for the pardon of Edward Ketcham, a case 
in which politics had interfered with 
intrinsic merits, Ever since Ketcham had 
gone to the penitentiary, eight years 

before, the application for his pardon had 
been made to each Governor, and by each 
of them refused. Although Governor 

Warfield knew the difficulties in the way, 
he was prepared when the time for action 
came, and, after satisfying himself that the 



2 THE KETCHAM PARDON 

papers were in the proper form, he sent 
for his secretary, 

"Wilson," he said, "have a pardon and 
restoration to citizenship made out for 
Ketcham at once," 

"You are going to issue the pardon?" 
asked the secretary with some surprise, 

"I shall sign it as soon as it is 
prepared," replied the Governor, and with'' 
out further comment turned to his work, 
Ketcham had been the cashier of one 
of the banks at Westonville, the home, in 
later years, of Warfield, He had been 
drawn into stock speculations, and had 
committed a series of forgeries aggregating 
a large amount, Francis Barrington, the 
president of the bank which was the 
principal loser, had been his unrelenting 
prosecutor, and had made every effort at 
securing a pardon unavailing, 

Barrington was a power in politics. 
He was a large owner of timber lands and 


THE KETCHAM PARDON 3 

lands which had been "cut over," and the 
local machinery of taxation was of much 
importance to him. So it came about that 
in the sparsely settled sections of the north 
he took good care to have financial 
obligations to him pretty well distributed. 
The interest on these investments was 
always regularly collected, but so long as 
Barrington could call for the political 
influence he wanted at election time no 
one was ever troubled about the principal. 

There were five counties up in the 
north from which Barrington could 
control delegations without leaving his 
office. So each Governor to whom the 
application for the pardon of Ketcham had 
been presented had very easily determined 
the question) for on one side was a woman 
who had no vote at all, and her erring 
husband, while on the other side were 
the delegations from five counties. And 
politics is politics, just as business isbuisness. 


4 THE KETCHAM PARDON 



HEN the application for the 
Ketcham pardon came to 
Warfield it raised a different 
issue. It took him back to the days of his 
life in the University, when he had first 
learned the lesson of love — the lesson that 
carries its recitation hours through all the 
days and nights, through all the years. It 
carried him back to the days when he, and 
she as well, had forgotten the practical side 
of life; to the days when they knew only 
the wonderful thing which love had 
become to them) when without thought or 
care they had simply been happy in love 
and in loving. 

Then she had awakened from the 
dream. And though she said she loved 
him with all her heart, it was she who had 
seen how impracticable it would be to 
marry the penniless and struggling student 
when the man of means offered her his 
hand. It was not a question of love) it 



THE KETCHAM PARDON 5 

was a matter of being sensible. 
So she was sensible, and married 
Ketcham. 

With Warfield it was different. He 
was a plain country boy, reared close to 
the sod, with no sentiment, and all he 
knew about love was that those hours with 
her which had been so sacred to him had 
remained through all his life so sweet and 
tender in his memory that he could not 
let the empty form of something less come 
between him and them. Thus the first 
love he had ever known had been the only 
love of his life. 

Perhaps it was his pathetic fidelity to 
that one essential truth that made his life 
the clear, strong, pure life it was. Now, 
after all these years, it was his to give or 
withhold her husband. So the pardon of 
Edward Ketcham was settled beyond the 
power of the politicians to interfere 
with it, 


6 THE K E T C H A M PARDON 

HE relations between the 
Governor and his secretary 
were necessarily very close, 
and, in fact, Wilson had been Warfield's 
intimate friend for years. He knew why 
Ketcham was to be pardoned. He 
understood how futile would be any 
attempt to argue the matter. While he 
was thinking about it. Colonel Hankinson, 
one of the Governor's political confidants 
came in. 

"Has the Governor said anything to 
you about the Ketcham matter?'' inquired 
the Colonel, 

"Yes," replied Wilson, "he has just 
told me to have the papers prepared. Can 
anything be done to head him off? His 
career in this State is over when he signs 
that pardon." 

“I know," said the Colonel rather 
dubiously, "I talked with him last night 
till way into the morning, but I couldn't 



THE KETCHAM PARDON 7 


move him. He has some idea or other of 
duty in the matter, and when Henry gets a 
notion of duty in his head you can't do 
much with him. Duty was never intended to 
be mixed with practical politics." 

The Colonel had been distinguished 
for his devotion to duty when he was in 
the service, and somewhat conspicuous in 
practical politics since he was mustered 
out. So he was an expert on the mixture, 
"I have telegraphed for Barrington," he 
continued, "and he ought to be here on the 
twoTorty, If you can stave it off till he 
arrives we may be able to do something," 
"He has ordered the papers made 
out," said Wilson, "and you know about 
how much waiting he is likely to do," 

"Well," said the Colonel as he rose to 
go, "do your best to delay things till this 
afternoon and we'll see what we can do. 
Don't let him know I've sent for 
Barrington," 


8 THE KETCHAM PARDON 


Wilson, whose loyalty to his chief 
was absolute, was glad to know that at 
least some effort was being made to avert 
what seemed to him clearly a case of 
political suicide) but he knew Barrington 
and he knew Warfield, and he looked for 
rather barren results from the interview, 

S N the meantime the Governor 
had called up the penitentiary on 
the telephone and was having a 
talk with Ketcham, 

"I have in hand," he was saying, "the 
application for your pardon. Before I act 
upon it I want to have a talk with you, I 
have not time to come down there, so I am 
sending for you to come up here, I have 
instructed the warden to fit you out with a 
suit of clothes, and he will come with you 
himself. You can leave on the noon train, 
I will arrange to see you as soon as you 
arrive, 

"Oh, no indeed, not at all," said the 


THE KETCHAM PARDON 9 


Governor, replying to an expression of 
thanks from Ketcham. "I want to see you, 
I will meet you at four o'clock, Good^'by," 

He hung the telephone on the hook 
and sat musing for a moment. It was the 
first time he had heard the voice of 
Ketcham in eight years, and it started the 
memories, Ketcham was the man who 
had made in his life a void which all the 
success of business and all the triumph of 
politics could not fill. 

There was one thing in the career of 
Henry Warfield which he had never been 
quite able to reconcile with his consciences 
Florence Watson was the wife of another 
man, but the portrait of her girlish face 
had rested in his watchcase ever since he 
had put it there, fifteen years before. And 
now he opened the case and looked at the 
picture. 

Other matters pressed upon him for 
attention, and the hour for luncheon 


10 THE KETCHAM PARDON 

arrived almost before he realized that the 
morning had slipped away. It was nearly 
half^past two when he returned to his 
office, and as he came in Wilson handed 
him a telegram. It reads 

"I shall arrive at two^-forty. Please 
defer action in pardon matter till I 
see you, "Francis Barrington,” 

"By the way,” said the Governor, 
making no comment on the telegram, "are 
the papers in the Ketcham case made out?” 
"I think so, sir,” said Wilson, 

"Then send them to me,” said the 
Governor, and he passed into his office, 
Wilson knew what that tone and 
manner meant, but secretaries, even at 
critical junctures, can only obey. He went 
to the engrossing clerk and got the papers 
and sent them in to the Governor, 

Governor Warfield examined the 
papers critically and affixed his signature 
to them. The seal had already been 


THE KETCHAM PARDON U 

imprinted. Then, inclosing in an envelope 
the deed to Edward Ketcham 's freedom, he 
addressed it to Mrs. Ketcham and sent it to 
the post/office by the messetiger who was 
waiting. 

Calling Wilson, he ordered a set of 
certified copies of the papers made to be 
delivered to the warden when he should 
come in with Ketcham, and instructed 
Wilson to inform the warden that when 
Ketcham came into the executive chamber 
his duties with reference to him were at an 
end. 

Then he was ready for Mr, Barrings 
ton. He had hardly finished his 
instructions when Barrington was ushered 
in, 

B OVERNOR,” commenced the 
banker almost at once, “I under/ 
stand that you are really giving 
serious consideration to the application for 
the Ketcham pardon," 


12 THE KETCHAM PARDON 

“Well, not very serious consideration 
now, Mr, Barrington,” said the Governor 
with that firm, hard'set smile on his face 
which so many politicians had learned 
was a stone wall behind which the 
Executive became hopelessly inaccessible. 
“Not very serious, Mr, Barrington, The 
pardon has been signed and delivered. It 
is out of my hands. There is really 
nothing for us to discuss in that 
connection,” 

“Did you get my telegram?” demanded 
Barrington. 

“Yes,” replied the Governor with 
coolness which only added to the 
exasperation of the politician; that was 
why I delivered it as soon as I did. I 
thought that might simplify our 
discussion,” 

“And you have chosen to defy me in 
this matter?” stormed Barrington, 

“Not exactly that,” replied the 


THE KETCHAM PARDON 13 

Governor, still cool — annoyingly cool, “I 
think if you will consider a moment and 
look the Constitution over a little, you will 
discover that it was entirely my affair," 
"Yes," said Barrington, now wholly 
beside himself, "and you will find that 
there are some things in the politics of 
this State which are my affair, even if 
there isn't anything in the Constitution 
about it,'* 

"Barrington," — the Governor had 

never called him Just plain Barrington 
before — "let me talk to you a moment," 
The Governor had risen now, and 
was facing his caller at close range, and his 
voice dropped to a low, impressive pitch « 
"Do you remember sixteen years ago last 
summer when you proved up on the 
Foubare homestead?" 

"I don't remember the details of my 
timber transactions as far back as 
that," replied Barrington a little testily. But 


14 THE KETCHAM PARDON 

his manner was completely changed. He 
realized that he had shifted to the defensive, 
"Yes, you do remember the Foubare 
proof,” insisted the Governor, and his voice 
was coming up to the jury pitch, "Not 
even a man like you forgets such a 
transaction as that. However, I'll refresh 
your memory a little. You may remember 
that Foubare had gone on a quarter section 
way back in the country. It had some of 
the finest timber up there growing on 
it, but it was so far out of the way that the 
timber cruisers overlooked it for a long 
time. You made a contract with him for 
the timber, and were to furnish him the 
money to prove up. One summer Foubare 
went away to work and he never came 
back. You never found him. But you 
were afraid the claim would be jumped or 
that something would happen, and about 
that time along came a man who said he 
was Foubare, and of course you couldn't 


THE KETCHAM PARDON 15 


be expected to remember just what Foubare 
looked like, and so you took his word 
for it. The necessary witnesses were 
provided, the proof was made, and when 
the patent was issued you filed, with the 
patent, a deed to the land from Foubare and 
his wife to you. Now do you remember 
the case?” 



DON'T know as I remember 
that particular case," replied 
Barrington, who had now 
recovered his sel^possessionj "there were 
a good many claims bought in those 
days," 


"If I should open this package," said 
Warfield — now thoroughly aroused — turn*' 
ing to his desk and picking up an envelope 
filled with papers, "perhaps you would be 
able to remember it. In this package is 
the deed. You never called for it after it 
was recorded, but some one else did. That 
deed is in your handwriting. With it is 


16 THE KETCHAM PARDON 

the opinion of an unimpeachable expert 
that the signatures to the deed were made 
by the same man who filled it in, and at 
the same time. With it there is also an 
affidavit from Foubare and his wife — both 
of whom, by the way, are now living 
— swearing that they never signed the 
deed. That was sixteen years ago last 
summer. The statute of limitations runs 
against forgery in twenty years. The next 
State Convention is to be held in one 
year. Can I have the delegations from 
what you are pleased to call your counties 
next year, if I want them?” 

Barrington looked at the Governor for 
just a moment, full in the face, and then 
turned to go. Warfield called him back, 

“We are not yet through," he 
said. “Don’t you think Mr. Foubare and 
his wife, who are getting pretty old 
now, ought to have some kind of a 
settlement with you?" 


THE KETCHAM PARDON 17 


"What sort of a settlement do you 
mean?" inquired Barrington, with a 
hopeless note in his voice, 

"I think you agreed to give him $1 000 
for the timber. It was a villianous robbery 
at that price but as he agreed to it then I 
suppose it is no more than fair for him to 
stand to it now. The interest on $1 000 
for sixteen years, at, we will say, eight per 
cent,, though you have usually got more 
than that for your money, would be” — 
making a quick pencil calculation — "$1 280, 
Then the land, or its fair value, ought 
to be returned to him, I suppose he 
would rather have $1600 than 
the land. Say, including extras and 
incidentals, and not to be niggardly about 
the matter, an even $4 000," 

O E S that include the delivery to 
me of the papers which you say 
you have?" 

"By no means," replied the Governor, 





18 THE KETCHAM PARDON 


"All that does is to insure you against 
civil proceedings to recover the money, in 
which case as you are aware, Mr, Foubare 
would recover the highest value of the 
timber and land between that time 
and now which with interest, would 
amount to, I should say, from fifteen to 
twenty thousand dollars, and which would 
also necessitate proving the — we will say 
the irregularity of the papers. That is all 
it insures. We are not now compounding 
a felony,” 

"Then what guaranty have I against 
further proceedings of a — of a different 
nature?” 

"None whatever. That rests with 

me,” 

"Do you want the nomination next 
year?” 

"I have not said that I did, I asked 
you whether you thought that I could 
have the delegations from your 


THE KETCHAM PARDON 19 


counties if I want them. What do you 

think?" 

"Oh, I suppose you can," said 
Barrington. 

"Do you want to leave a check for 
$4000 with me, payable to the order of 
Antoine Foubare?" 

"Are you Foubare 's attorney?” re^ 
joined the banker. 

"I think you are willing to trust to my 
honesty in a matter of $4 000, are you 
not?" 

"I suppose I am. Antoine, did you 
say the name was?" 

"Yes. You knew how to spell the 
name once. I presume you have not 
forgotten?" 

"I know how the name is spelled," said 
Barrington, as he took a check out of his 
pocket and sat down at the desk to fill it 
out. While he was doing this the door 
was opened, and into the presence of the 


20 THE KETCHAM PARDON 

two men walked Edward Ketcham, As he 
entered the room all the bitter anger of 
years rushed in hot blood to the face of 
Barrington, who dropped his pen and half 
rose from his chairs 

"You th " he started to say, but 

Warfield stopped him in the middle of the 
word. 

"Hadn't you better finish that 
check?" he said quietly, but with a look 
that brought Barrington to his senses, 

"Be seated a moment," said the Cover,' 
nor pleasantly to Ketcham, "Mr, Barrington 
and I are nearly through our business," By 
this time Barrington had signed the 
check, which he handed to the Governor, 

O W, Mr, Barrington," said 
Warfield, as Barrington rose to 
go, "I want to say to you that I 
can have the delegations from your 
counties in the next State Convention, if I 
want them. I can have your active and 




THE KETCHAM PARDON 21 


earnest support for the United States Senate 
if I want it. Whatever I desire to command 
of you in politics I can have from you — not 
because I deserve it, not because the 
interests of the State or the welfare of the 
public demand it, but because the string I 
have around you is a little stronger than 
you can pull away from. I shall not want 
your support for reelection or for any other 
position, nor the support of any man such 
as you are, from whom I can ask nothing 
for which repayment is not expected in 
service that is likely to be dishonest and is 
sure to be unpleasant. If I cannot complete 
my career in the public service without the 
aid of such politicians as you and your 
kind, it is time for me to stop and go back 
to my law office. 

"Do not think for one moment that I 
am holding this matter over your head for 
my own protection. I am not afraid of you 
or your kind. But Edward Ketcham is 


22 THE KETCHAM PARDON 

going out into the world with a fearful 
handicap, to attempt to make his way, and 
he is going to be an honest man, I want 
him to understand that he has nothing to 
fear from you, and I want you to 
understand that for the next four years you 
are to keep your hands off of him, I think 
we all understand the situation, I bid you 
good'-day," 

As the Governor turned to Ketcham, 
after Barrington had gone out, there was a 
perceptible relaxation of the lower jaw. 

"Ketcham,” began the Governor when 
they were alone, "I had wanted to have a 
little talk with you, but the next train you 
can catch for home leaves in about fifteen 
minutes, and there is some one who wants 
to talk with you more than I do. I'll call a 
cab and send you to the station, and when 
you get straightened out a bit come and see 
me. Don't say a word," he protested, as 
Ketcham, almost dazed by the rapid course 


THE KETCHAM PARDON 23 


of events, tried to find words to express his 
gratitude, "There isn't a word to be 
said, I have done this simply because I 
thought it ought to be done, and I think I 
have placed Barrington where he will give 
neither of us any trouble for at least four 
years. Now go home to your wife, 
Ketcham" — the eyes of both of them were 
filling a little now — “and tell her that there 
happened to be one Governor of the State 
who was so situated that he could consider 
the Ketcham pardon without consulting 
Francis Barrington," 

As Ketcham hurried out to get to his 
train the Governor sat down by the 
fire, and when Wilson came in hurriedly 
a few moments later he snapped his 
watch'-case shut, and he had not seen the 
time of day at ail. He had not been 
looking at that side of his watch. 




















































